Her Ring
by LilyoftheValley4
Summary: Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow planned on going to Santa Barbara until Sydney mysteriously disappears. "The Telling's" two years told from Vaughn's POV
1. Shattering Bliss

**Title:** Her Ring

**Author:** LilyoftheValley

**Summary:** Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow were planning on taking a wonderful trip to Santa Barabara when something goes horribly wrong. Told completely from Vaughn's POV.

**A/N:** I know you all are probably tired of reading stories about "The Telling," but I still wanted to write this story, so you all have the option of reading it. I hope you enjoy it and please review!

Her Ring 

            Michael Vaughn smiled at Sydney. They were only a few hours away from their trip to Santa Barbara and Vaughn was in a state of complete bliss.

            "I'll pick you up after the debrief, okay?" Vaughn asked her.

            Sydney smiled and nodded. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and left the car. Vaughn watched her walk up to the door and waited until she was safely inside before driving away. He wished that Kendall hadn't scheduled this debrief at the last minute. After all, his vacation time should have been in affect at five o'clock today, but an agent's job was never done he supposed. 

            He parked in front of the CIA office and glanced at his watch. The hands indicated it was eight o'clock. He was running a little late, but he didn't mind. The less of the meeting he missed the better. He walked into the CIA office and headed towards conference room A. He opened the door and stepped in, surprised to find it empty. Vaughn closed the door and looked around the office and spied Agent Kendall talking to Agent Banks. He walked briskly towards the two men.

            Kendall glanced up at him as he approached but ignored him. Vaughn waited impatiently for them to finish their conversation. As soon as Agent Banks had left, Kendall turned around to face him. 

            "Why weren't you at the debrief, Agent Vaughn?" Kendall asked while starting to walk down the line desks. Vaughn walked along side with him.

            "I was only a little late. I didn't think the meeting would be over in five minutes," Vaughn said with a hint of sarcasm.

            "A little late?" Kendall asked stopping to look at Vaughn. "The meeting was at seven-thirty."

            Vaughn's brow furrowed. "No one told me the meeting was at seven-thirty. I was told it was at eight."

            Kendall glared at him. "Someone should have called you. Have you checked your messages, Agent Vaughn?" Vaughn shook his head. "I suggest that you do. As an agent consider your phone almost like your bible. It's the best way for you to keep in touch with what's going on. Don't miss another meeting again, Agent Vaughn." Kendall walked us, leaving Vaughn in a still somewhat calm mood. He was angry about the way Kendall had treated him. Vaughn carried his phone everywhere. In fact, he was carrying it right now.

            He looked at the screen on his phone and was surprised to find that he did have one new message. That was odd. He had had his phone on all day and he didn't understand why he hadn't heard it ring. He decided to figure out why later. He was happy, he was going to be seeing Sydney even sooner than he had expected and they were going to go to Santa Barbara for a weekend together. Not even Kendall's berating could spoil his good mood.

            Agent Vaughn hopped back into his car and backed out of the CIA parking lot. He just had to stop by his apartment to pick up his suitcase, and then he would go and pick-up Sydney. He smiled, in less than two hours, they'd be on the plane to a place with nothing but romantic walks on the beach, candle light dinners, and each other.

            Vaughn parked his car in the spot designated by his apartment number and headed to the front door. An overly excited Donovan instantly greeted him. 

            "Wow! Okay, down boy, down," Vaughn said laughing. Donovan however, continued to give him kisses as Vaughn attempted to reach for his suitcase. Vaughn finally stood up, suitcase in hand, and reached back for the door. Donovan instantly sat staring calmly at his leash that hung on a hook by the door. 

            "No, sorry boy. We don't have time to go for a walk," Vaughn said, but the word "walk" was all Donovan wanted to hear. The minute Vaughn turned back towards the door, Donovan broke into a fit of barking. 

            "Okay, okay. We'll go for a walk. A quick walk," Vaughn said smiling at his dog's persistence. Vaughn set the suitcase down and reached for Donovan's leash. Donovan instantly sat waiting patiently for his master to put the leash on. The minute the leash clicked on however, Donovan was rushing for the door. 

            Vaughn reached for the doorknob as Donovan finally permitted it to be open. Donovan dragged Vaughn down the steps and out into the night. The sun was just starting to set as the summer days continuously became longer than the previous spring days. 

            Vaughn quickly planned the fastest route around the neighborhood in his head, but it later turned out that it was not the fastest route being that Donovan was determined to stop at every bush, tree, and pole to sniff for other dogs. The whole walk ended up placing Vaughn ten minutes behind his intended schedule. 

            When they arrived at the house, Vaughn quickly placed a now happy Donovan inside and reached for his suitcase. Donovan settled on his doggy bed and was asleep before Vaughn had even closed the door. Vaughn threw his suitcase in the trunk and headed towards Sydney's. In actuality, he wasn't really late. He had just figured that he would have been at Sydney's a little earlier than it already was.

            He pulled his car into the driveway headed to the front door. He rang the doorbell once, and waited. When no one came, he rang it again. He listened for any sounds coming from inside, be he didn't hear anything. Vaughn glanced at the driveway and verified the presence of Sydney's car. It was there all right. This began to worry him.

            Vaughn knocked on the door, and called out Sydney's name, but again, there was no response. He reached for the doorknob. It turned easily in his hands. He stepped inside cautiously and the site that greeted him made his heart pound. The living room and the kitchen were a mess. It looked like some sort of fight had occurred.  

            Vaughn instantly went for his gun, but found it wasn't there. He had forgotten that he hadn't brought it with him. He didn't really plan on finding trouble in Santa Barbara. 

            "Sydney?" Vaughn called, but only his own voice echoed through the house. This worried him more, and he began to move quickly towards her bedroom when he heard a moan come from the bathroom. Vaughn instantly changed his course. He prepared himself for an attack and threw the door to the bathroom open.

            Vaughn almost immediately backed out again at the sight in the bathroom. Will Tippin lay unconscious in the tub, but as he got closer, he could make out the sound of Will whispering something. 

            "Francie…why Francie…Sydney…" Vaughn reeled back at the sound of Sydney's name. He knew Will was badly hurt, but he also knew Sydney could be too. It was most likely that Sydney had been involved in this attack and he had to find her. He left the bathroom and continued his travels towards the bedroom. The door was partly open, but he couldn't see anything until pushed it all the way open.

            The first thing he saw was Francie lying dead on the floor. Bullet wounds covered her body seeming to be the obvious cause of death. After finding both Will and Francie in such horrid conditions, Vaughn looked anxiously around the room for Sydney. A mirror lay broken on the opposite wall of Sydney's room. In places it too was covered in blood, and a gun lay not far from a somewhat lard shard of glass. 

            Vaughn knew without even analyzing the characteristics of the gun that it didn't belong to Sydney, nor was it CIA issue. Vaughn's heart was now beating furiously. The clue to what happened to Sydney, he knew was obviously right in front of him. He knew that Francie hadn't made it any farther from the spot in which she had been shot. That had to mean that someone else had been in the room. Someone else would have had to fallen on the mirror. Someone else had to have fired the gun, and that someone had to be…He gulped…Sydney. 


	2. A Splash of Cold Water

A/N: Thank you all who reviewed! I'm glad that even some of those people who are sick of "The Telling" are enjoying this. I was hoping I'd get positive feedback. I just felt so bad that all the angst and attempt for Vaughn to find Sydney had to be summed up in a few seconds. I wanted to prove that Vaughn didn't give up on Sydney easily. I hope you all will continue to read, review, and enjoy!

Chapter 2

            Somehow logic was able to enter Vaughn's anxious and confused mind and he reached for his phone. He dialed the number almost mechanically. 

            "Get me Director Kendall please," Vaughn requested, his voice devoid of all emotion. 

            "Director Kendall is in a meeting-" The young woman started.

            "Get him out of it. This is an emergency," Vaughn said adding urgency to his voice so she'd understand what he was trying to say. He heard her hesitate before she requested he wait a moment. About a minute later Kendall came on the phone. 

            "Who is this?" Kendall asked.

            "It's Agent Vaughn. Something's happened at Sydney Bristow's house and we'll need a CIA team here," Vaughn said. 

            "I see. I take it you'll explain when we get there?" Kendall assumed.

            "Yes," Vaughn stated. "And Sir?"

            "Yes?"

            "You'll want to bring the forensics team," he said shakily. 

            Vaughn heard the click of the phone as he continued to sit in front of the mirror, staring at his broken reflection. The only thing he could think of was "why?" Why had it been Sydney? Of all the people in the world, why Sydney? Of course he was vague on the details. For all he knew she may of left to find help after the fight, but something inside him told him that wasn't the case. He had a feeling that something had happened to her, but every part of his heart prayed that wasn't the truth.

            Vaughn's vision finally focused on the cell phone he was still holding in his hand and an idea formed. He dialed the number he had committed to memory and waited. Seconds later a ring came from a spot about three feet from where he was currently sitting. His spirits fell slightly when he realized that Sydney's phone wasn't with her, but not before realizing that Sydney's phone could still be of help. 

            He hung up his phone and reached down for Sydney's. It had been lying face down on the floor less than a foot away from the nightstand. Apparently during the fight it had been knocked to the floor. Vaughn picked it up with shaky hands. He looked through the message box and saw that there were three saved messages. He listened to all three, but the most alarming was the one from Will, warning Sydney about the idea that Francie was the double.

            Vaughn turned slowly to face "Francie." Apparently Will had been right, and "Francie" had figured out that Sydney knew too. Vaughn shuddered. All of this was too real. The reality that Francie was the double and had been the double for a long time seemed to be screaming at him in the face for obvious recognition. Why hadn't he seen it before? Because of his blindness Sydney was gone. Because of his meeting and Donovan, Sydney was gone. Because of Francie, Sydney was gone.

            Vaughn dropped Sydney's phone onto the bed. The CIA team would find it and understand what happened. Vaughn decided the best thing he could do right now was tend to Will. He hadn't moved at all from his position in the tub. His breathing was still shallow and his pulse was still deadly slow. It was sitting here that Will's previous words floated back into his head.

            "Francie…why Francie…Sydney…" Apparently it had been Francie who had stabbed him and the cry of Sydney's name was apparently hope that she'd found his message. Will had done everything in his power to save Sydney, but Vaughn felt worthless. He hadn't done anything at all for Sydney, and that sunk Vaughn into an even deeper depression. 

            Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Vaughn managed to submerse enough energy to stand up and answer it. Kendall was the first person he saw. Kendall stepped into the room and looked at it in surprise. 

            "What happened here, Agent Vaughn?"

            "Sydney's friend Francie turned out to be the real double," Vaughn said sadly. "And from what I understand of the message on Sydney's phone, Tippin found out and Francie stabbed him. He's in the bathroom in need of medical attention. Apparently Francie figured out that Sydney knew she wasn't the real Francie and the house before you is the location of the fight."

            Kendall raised an eyebrow. "And Sydney and the double?"

            "The double is dead, and Sydney…" Vaughn stopped. "Sydney's missing."

            "I see," Kendall said. "If you would Agent Vaughn, I'd appreciate it if you could stick around for awhile." Vaughn nodded. Vaughn looked around the house that he had just begun getting familiar with. Now it's beauty was unrecognizable and its owner missing. Vaughn sighed; he couldn't stay in here any longer.

            Vaughn stepped out of the front door and sat on the porch still unsure of what was happening but very much aware that things had changed. Whatever had happened tonight had changed all of their lives. Vaughn hoped that Sydney would show up tomorrow and explain what had happened and they could get on with their lives, but even if she did, things would be different. Francie both the double and most likely the real one were dead. Will was fighting for survival at that very moment and Sydney's house was in tatters. At this point he didn't know what the next day would bring.

            Vaughn moved his head so his eyes could graze the remains of the yard. In some places the grass sparkled from the evening dew, but nothing really showed the pain that had occurred that night in an initial glance. It all looked peaceful and normal, but Vaughn knew that those two words are exactly what his life would never be.

            He stopped at the sight of something gleaming. This object was apparently gold and brighter than the rest of the grass when its side caught the streetlight just right. Vaughn stood up and moved to the front yard. He picked up the object off the ground and held it in his hand. The ring was indeed gold and resembled that of a wedding ring. It was large and most likely not belonging to the finger of a woman. 

            Vaughn placed it on his right index finger just above the joint when he felt something in the inside of the ring. He removed it from his finger and held it under the streetlamp to get a better look at it. Written in the inside it in engraved cursive were these words:

Love binds us together always ~ Sydney

            Vaughn didn't know what to make of the ring. He looked at it carefully. It looked pretty new and unaffected by weather. _The ring must have been dropped here recently_, he concluded. But who was it for? Was Sydney planning on giving this ring to him? Or was there someone else? Vaughn shook his head. There wasn't anyone else. Sydney was an honest person and he would always believe that, but the ring left only questions.

            Vaughn looked up startled at the sound of voices coming outside. A group of paramedics were bringing Will out in a stretcher. An airbag pump covered his nose and mouth and was being tended on by a medic. Vaughn slipped the ring onto his finger and ran over to inquire about Will's condition. 

            "How is he?" Vaughn asked them. 

            "Not good," came the voice of one of the paramedics. "But he's lucky he was found when he was or he wouldn't have stood a chance." Vaughn nodded and stepped back so they could load him into the ambulance. Vaughn watched them drive away in sorrow. He hoped that Will made it. After the decreasing threat of Will's competition for Sydney, Vaughn had thought of him as good guy, not to mention that he was an incredible asset to the CIA in the research department. 

            Vaughn turned to head back into the house but he found himself face to face with Kendall. Vaughn waited in a silence filled with a sort of dreadful anticipation for Kendall to fill him in on what they had found. 

            "Nothing's conclusive at this point, Agent Vaughn," Kendall said staring at Sydney's house. "The blood samples will have to be analyzed and at this point any fingerprints are useless. The only possible prints we may find would be from the medication that Mr. Tippin found in the bathroom, but even then it won't prove anything." Vaughn just nodded. He knew what this meant. The CIA had absolutely no leads at this point. No clue to what happened and no leads on where Sydney was. 

            "I suggest that you go home, Agent Vaughn. There's no point in staying," Kendall said somewhat compassionately. 

            "What about Jack? He'll want to know," Vaughn asked.

            Kendall nodded. "He'll be informed when he returns from his mission. Go home, Agent Vaughn. I don't expect to see you at work tomorrow." Kendall left with that, feeling that saying "good night" would be inappropriate. 

            Vaughn slowly dragged himself to his car but it took a few minutes before he was able to start the car. Slowly he drove. He intended to drive home and even thought he was driving home, but he found that his car stopped at the pier. He reached over and opened the glove box. There, sitting neatly and expectantly inside where two tickets to Santa Barbara. Vaughn pulled them out and exited the car. 

            He glanced over the water, holding the tickets just above the railing. He looked at them sadly. In his hand was their vacation. It was supposed to be a weekend of fun, excitement, and time together with just the two of them. No work, no nothing. Instead, it became the worst night of his life. He held the tickets for a second more before he let them drop. They hit the water just seconds after being disturbed by the presence of a single tear before they sunk and drowned in blackness.


	3. The Brick Wall Around the Corner

A/N: Sorry I took so long to post but with school and finals, I had a lot on my mind. But now that it's summer…it's time to party Alias style! I want to let you read so here's a BIG thanks to all who reviewed, and I hope you'll continue to review and enjoy!

Chapter 3

            Vaughn didn't sleep a wink. In fact, Vaughn couldn't recall what he did most the night. All he did know was that he needed to stay by the phone. If Sydney wanted to reach him, he'd be there waiting, but that night, no call came. 

            After a night of no messages, Vaughn had resolved to ignore Kendall's advice and go into work. He needed to know what was going on, what was being done, and what had be found. He headed into his bedroom and chose one of his typical black suites. As he was buttoning his shirt there came a sound of a key in the door. Vaughn's heart quickened and he jumped up and ran to the door looking expectantly outside when it was opened, but it was just Eric Weiss. Vaughn had forgotten that he had asked Weiss to watch Donovan while he was gone, which was most likely the reason for his visit.

            "Hey, Mike! What are you doing here?" He asked. Then he got a look at Vaughn's baggy eyes and frowned knowing immediately that something was wrong. "What's going on?"

            Vaughn walked despondently into the living room and Weiss followed. "Sydney's missing," Vaughn said bluntly after taking a seat on the couch. 

            "What?" Weiss exclaimed. "What do you mean 'missing?'" Vaughn looked at Weiss and slowly retold the events of last night. When Vaughn was done, Weiss could do nothing but stare at Vaughn in horror. Neither of them said a word for a full minute.

            "Well what are you waiting for?" Weiss asked him standing up.

            "What are you talking about?" Vaughn asked only mildly interested.

            "You've got to go into work. We've got to go into work and find her," Weiss said determinedly.

            Vaughn looked down at his half dressed body. "Just give me five minutes. I was just getting ready to go when you came over." Vaughn easily took less than five minutes and the two agents headed off to work.

            Vaughn and Weiss walked into the office. It was a mad house. People were running every which way, and the sound of rustling papers and ringing phones became the background music of the office. Kendall spied Vaughn the minute he walked through the door and immediately walked over to him as Weiss continued to his desk.

            "Why did you come in today? I told you not to," Kendall asked.

            "I want to help. I am her handler after all," Vaughn said determinedly. 

            "Agent Vaughn, I assure you that we've got every one available working on this. You don't need to be here," Kendall hinted.

            Vaughn looked at Kendall in confusion. "What does it matter? Why do you want me to leave so badly?"

            Kendall watched him carefully. "Your relationship with Agent Bristow wasn't as inconspicuous as you may have thought. I think that it would be in your best interest for you not to be involved, depending on what we may find."

            "I see," Vaughn said flatly. "Unfortunately I don't agree with you, Sir. I want to find her more than anything in the world, and you are not going to stop me."

            "Agent Vaughn," Kendall said getting frustrated. "Any man can do your job. You're not needed."

            Vaughn just stared at him. "If you ever get a wife or girlfriend that you finally get to be with and God forbid lose her for what ever reason, you'll know what I'm feeling. But since you don't, don't try to convince me to do something that you don't even understand," Vaughn threatened as he headed to his desk.

            He logged on his CIA account and educated himself on the latest news surrounding Sydney's disappearance. Unfortunately, the folder was mostly empty. There were a few documentations of phone calls that led to dead ends and that was it. Vaughn sighed, not sure of where to begin. The CIA had no leads so there was nothing to research, nothing to check up on, and nothing to verify. Vaughn sighed and decided to go and see if the forensics team had found out anything that had yet to be recorded in Sydney's folder. 

            He passed Kendall on his way to the lab offices, but Vaughn ignored him. Kendall was the least of his problems. Vaughn only wanted one thing at the moment. And for some reason she had been snatched out of his life. It was killing him. 

            Vaughn entered the lab at the surprise of the lab technician Dr. Phillip Jenson. "May I help you?" Dr. Jenson asked upon Vaughn's entry.

            "I'm Agent Michael Vaughn. Director Kendall asked me for an update on the samples you obtained from Agent Sydney Bristow's house," Vaughn lied. 

            Dr. Jenson believed him. "There isn't much to say. I've lifted prints off the gun and found two sets. After putting it through the data system, I've found that they belonged to Agent Bristow and a Miss Francine Calfo." Vaughn shook his head, that was expected since whoever was playing Francie had been doubled to look and act exactly like the real Francie. "The Curious thing," Dr. Jenson continued, "was that the gun is registered under the name Loan Ravine Sr. It is said that he is currently living in Greene County, Colorado."

            Vaughn approached him, excited. "Can I get a copy of that address?" It may be a slim lead but for the moment it was the only one he had. Dr. Jenson wrote down the Colorado address and gave it to Vaughn. "Anything else?" Vaughn asked. "Any idea of who the double is?"

            Dr. Jenson shook his head. "Our resources told us that a build up of proteins would be seen in the eyes of the double. However, that hasn't been found in Miss Calfo. There are eye drops that can be used to reduce protein counts. Minimal amounts are actually put in contact solutions to reduce protein irritation. Unfortunately, we have yet to find any evidence of this usage among Agent Bristow's or Miss Calfo's things."

            "So your saying that it is possible that the person Sydney shot may or may not be a double?" Vaughn asked him in surprise. 

            "Either one is possible. Until we find the other Miss Calfo, we have to assume that the one we have in our custody is the real one and not the double." 

            "I see," Vaughn said disappointed. "And the…blood at the scene didn't show anything?" 

            "No, the blood at the scene proved to belong to Agent Bristow, Miss Calfo, and Mr. Will Tippin," Dr. Jenson explained. "A knife was also found in the kitchen sink with remnants of Mr. Tippin's blood on it, however all prints had been whipped clean."

            Vaughn shakily gave his thanks and walked out of the lab room He needed to talk to Kendall, because he was going to Colorado.

GREENE COUNTY, COLORADO

            Vaughn drove the CIA rental car accompanied by Agent Weiss and a few other agents to a house located on 6549 Hilton Dr. Greene County was located in the country and as they drove, the distance between the houses became farther apart. Farmhouses occupied more and more land that housed cows, horses, or fields growing agricultural products. It was really beautiful. However, Vaughn had other things on his mind. 

            He was unsure of what they would find at the house. He hoped most of all that this house would lead to the end of the search for Sydney so that they could once again live happily ever after, but for some reason, in the CIA life, things never turn out the way you want them to. 

            The agents reached the house off the dirt drive they had been traveling for nearly five miles. The house was a nice little farmhouse with a front porch furnished in wooden rocking chairs and a porch swing. There were no vehicles around and the grass had grown to an untidy sight making it seem as if it hadn't been mowed in a couple months. Just looking at the outside appearance of the house made his heart tighten. He had a feeling that they would not find Sydney here.

            Vaughn and the other agents armed themselves. Half of them headed to the back of the house, the other half to the front of the house. Vaughn stood at the front door. With a swift kick he had the door down. A pounding sound from the back proved that the other agents had done the same thing. Vaughn held his gun up, ready to fire, and looked around. The house was deserted, and from the looks of it, it had been for a long time.

            Dust covered the floors so much that the agents' footprints followed them into the room. The room itself was completely unfurnished. Vaughn and the rest of the agents took a minute or two to look over the rest of the one story house to find that it was indeed empty. There were no beds in the bedrooms or furniture of any kind. There were a few appliances including a stove, refrigerator, toilet, and a sink, but that was it. The house didn't even seem to receive water or electricity. Vaughn threw his gun down as the other agents gave the house the once over to make sure they hadn't missed anything.

            Out of everything he had expected to find, this wasn't it. He had hoped there would be something. Something that would be in the house and point to Sydney's disappearance, but there was nothing. The gun apparently was registered to a fake name and a dead end. 

            "Agent Vaughn," Agent John Michels said calling him over. "Look at this." He was holding up a half burned piece of paper that had apparently been in the fireplace. Vaughn took the paper and read it.

In five years time will stop,

And with the Prophecy she will be sought.

            The rest of the lines, before and after the legible lines, had been burnt off making it impossible to comprehend the meaning of the printed words. Vaughn didn't know what to think. The Prophecy? That could only relate to Rambaldi, but the CIA had never determined who Rambaldi had been talking about. Had it been Irina Derevko or Sydney? Vaughn shook his head. _It can't be Sydney, _Vaughn thought. _She doesn't hold true to the prophecy because she's seen Mt. Sebacio. _

            The other puzzling part of this note was who had left it. This was a part of the prophecy that the CIA had never read before, and Vaughn didn't understand what it meant. It was written on normal paper which meant that it wasn't a copy of the Rambaldi manuscript, but that didn't mean that it hadn't been copied. _Damn it, _Vaughn thought angrily. _Coming here was supposed to answer my questions. Not add more to the list. _

            Vaughn made his way outside to the car. He didn't want to be in there. Not any more. Every thing in that house pointed to ownership from people other than the CIA, and right now he didn't want to think of the possibility that Sloane and/or Irina Derevko had Sydney. He wanted answers, and soon. The house was a dead end, and it was time to get back to LA. Weiss had followed Vaughn outside and was soon standing next to him. 

            Vaughn handed the piece of paper over to him silently and waited.

            "What does it mean?" Weiss asked, just as confused as Vaughn was.

            "I don't know. We should get the team out and head back home. We're not going to find anything else here," Vaughn ordered. A couple people had already filtered out of the house when suddenly the house exploded. Vaughn and Weiss dropped to the ground and covered their face and head with their hands. Glass shards flew all around along with wood and shingles from the roof. 

            When the initial explosion stopped both Vaughn and Weiss stood up slowly. The two agents that had been on the porch were now lying face down on the driveway while the house burned an intense color of orange. 

            Vaughn and Weiss ran over to them and dragged them farther away from the burning building. Both of them were alive but they definitely needed medical attention. Vaughn looked at the building in sadness. Eight men had come out to Colorado following on a lead, but only four would be coming home. 


	4. Don't Ask for Suspension

**A/N**: Sorry it took so long for me to post, but I got involved in reading the new Harry Potter book, and in doing so, I got this great idea for a HP fanfic. Anywayz, here's the next chapter! Please R/R!

**Leo's l'il sista**: I can't tell you who the ring was immediately meant for. You'll just have to read and find out. 

**LinZ**: Don't worry. I'm not planning on making this story 20 chapters of Vaughn angst. I will get to the finale, but I promise you, you won't get bored!

**MelodyAnne**: Hehehe, your right, everything does seem to get blown up, but being the little pyro that I am, I couldn't help but add it in. I hope you're still enjoying the story anyway.

**Thank you all who reviewed! Now please READ!**

LOS ANGELES

            Vaughn returned home two days after the explosion in Colorado. Weiss was to remain with the injured agents for a few days while Vaughn came home to report to Kendall and Devlin. While he had been there, and investigation team had been sent out to find out what had caused the building to explode. It turned out that the front door of the house hand been rigged to explode about five minutes after it had been opened. It was upon this news that Vaughn realized the stupid trap he'd fallen into. An empty house located in the middle of nowhere threw up signals all over the place. 

            Vaughn was now sitting at his desk as he stared at the open documents on his computer surrounding Sydney's disappearance. There were no more leads in the folder about Sydney. Nothing at all. 

            "Agent Vaughn." Vaughn looked up surprised to see Jack Bristow standing in front of his desk.

            "Yes, sir?" Vaughn asked.

            "I need to talk to Sydney and she's not answering her cell phone." Vaughn froze. Kendall hadn't told Jack the situation yet; that neither Vaughn nor the rest of the CIA had any idea of where Sydney was.

            "She's not here," Vaughn said slowly. He forced his eyes to look up into Jacks. Jack's facial expression remained the same, but Vaughn could read the surprise in Jack's eyes as he looked at Vaughn's pained expression.

            "I wasn't aware that she was on a mission," Jack said off-handedly, while trying to get more information out of Vaughn.

            Vaughn swallowed hard. "She's not on a mission Jack." Vaughn could see Jack visibly tense as he continued. "She's missing." Vaughn slowly retold the story, just as he did to Weiss, but this time, he included the trip to Colorado in the story. When Vaughn was done, Jack had the same expression as before. 

            Jack gave a curt nod to Vaughn, stood up, and walked away. Vaughn just watched him go. After all, it was mostly like Kendall's neck that Jack Bristow was about to chew. 

*~*~*~*

            The weeks went by agonizingly slowly. Vaughn would spend the whole day, and most of the time, the majority of the nights, doing research, making calls, doing whatever he could to keep himself busy. He also made sure to call the hospital everyday to keep tabs on Will's condition. Unfortunately was still at the Los Angeles Hospital in ICU. The stab wounds to his chest had caused a large quantity of damage, not to mention the blood loss. The doctors were hopeful he would regain consciousness any day now, but none of them new for sure if that was actually going to happen at all. Vaughn had made sure to let them know that if Will were to regain consciousness, Vaughn was to be informed immediately. 

            Three weeks after Sydney's death, Kendall called a meeting. When Vaughn arrived, he found the room containing nothing more than Sydney's closest friends and in Jack's case, relatives. Vaughn really hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Marshall or Dixon since Sydney had disappeared. In actuality, however, he hadn't wanted to. There was sadness in all of their faces that seemed to be getting more and more distinct as the days went on. It was probably the same sadness that was echoed in his own eyes. In the life of a CIA agent, the longer you've been gone, the less chance you're going to come back alive.

            Kendall cleared his throat and stood up in front of the room. Next to him was Director Devlin. "I called this meeting to talk to you all about our MIA agent, Sydney Bristow. We are currently three weeks into the investigation and there has been little evidence to support Agent Bristow's whereabouts, or even an accurate screening of what happened the night of the fight. We've found.—"

            "Wait!" Vaughn said interrupting Kendall. Kendall stopped and turned an irritated eye towards him.

            "Yes, Agent Vaughn?"

            "What do you mean "an accurate screening" of what happened the night Sydney disappeared? I thought it was concluded that Agent Bristow and Will Tippin were both attacked by Francie or Francie's double."

            Director Devlin stood up to address this question and Agent Kendall sat down. "The forensics team can't conclude anything. As a result, another theory has evolved from the evidence found at the scene. We believe that there is a chance that Agent Bristow may have been working in league with Sloane. There is a possibility that the fight that night was staged to throw the CIA of track."

            Vaughn stood up enraged. "That's a fuckin' cock-and-bull story and you know it! There is nothing to prove that Agent Bristow has been anything but loyal to the CIA during her work here. The basis of these accusations are groundless and—"

            "Sit down, Agent Vaughn," Director Devlin demanded. Vaughn grudgingly did as he requested and Devlin continued. "Yes, Agent Bristow has proved her loyalty to this agency numerous times, but there is a possibility that Agent Bristow could have staged this to throw all suspicion off her. As an agent we have to look at all possibilities and it is definitely a possibility that this Francie Calfo was indeed spying on Agent Bristow for Sloane and for some reason, the two of them go into a fight. There could also be a chance that she didn't know that Miss Calfo worked for Sloane. All Sydney knew was that there was a possibility that Miss Calfo could be a double and that is what led to the attack. We can't say for sure"

            "Sydney Bristow would not betray her country under any circumstances," Vaughn yelled, standing up angrily again. "Your rendition of what happened couldn't be farther away from the truth—"

            "None of us know what the truth is right now—"

            "But you're willing to accuse a loyal agent?"

            "We're not accusing anyone right now, Agent Vaughn, we're merely—"

            "Keeping the most unlikely options open," Vaughn yelled, concluded the end of their back and forth argument. There was silence. "I get it," Vaughn growled. "It's the Prophecy isn't? You think that's a legitimate reason to accuse Sydney of being a traitor."

            "Agent Vaughn," Kendall interrupted angrily. "You either get your temper under control so that we can continue this meeting or leave this room and face a week's suspension." Vaughn looked back and forth at Devlin and Kendall. Devlin was still red-faced from their argument, and the rest of the room was waiting to see what he would do. 

            Vaughn pushed back his chair, opened the door to the conference room, and slammed it hard behind him.


	5. Scrambled

A/N: Sorry peoples, I've just been so busy. And then with Isabel I lost power for a little while. Anywho. Here's the next installment. Please Add-on soon!

Chapter 5

            Michael Vaughn didn't really know what a week's suspension would be like until he faced it. Kendall saw to it personally that Vaughn was not to be informed on the latest news in the Sydney Bristow case. Weiss however, was nice enough to call him when he got home from work, but until then, Vaughn's insanity was getting the better of him. He was berating himself mostly for his angry outburst, but also for the CIA's blindness. Had he been in the same situation again, he may have not have left, but he would have made sure that the CIA saw the stupidity in the accusations they had made. 

            When the long week had ended and Kendall permitted his return, Vaughn jumped into the work of finding Sydney. A few leads had turned up in Switzerland but ended at yet another wall. Jack Bristow had been driven head first into his work as he researched every lead in the hope of finding Sydney. However neither man was able to find more than the next. Then, the first good news Vaughn had heard in weeks surfaced a week after his return to the office. Will Tippin was awake. 

            Vaughn headed to the hospital as soon as he had heard the news. He was eager for a chance to prove Kendall and Devlin wrong, and what way would be better than to present him with a witness of the incident. 

            He flashed his badge at the receptionist the moment she tried to hold him back and proceeded to room 619. He slowed his pace and placed his badge back into his pocket and walked into Will's room. When Vaughn entered, Will was lying at a twenty-five degree angle in his bed, watching the TV blankly. Vaughn could see the tip of some bandages protruding from under the sheets that were located just above his stomach. Will only glanced briefly at Vaughn when he entered the room.

            "Hey," Vaughn said at Will's silence.

            "Hey," Will repeated, his voice sounding hoarse. Will reached for the remote and turned off the TV. He then picked up the controller for his bed and raised it another twenty degrees. He winced a little as he did this. 

            Vaughn opened his mouth to begin his questioning, but Will beat him to it. "Is she dead?" Will whispered, not looking at Vaughn in the eyes.

            Vaughn decided to tread carefully. "Is who dead?" Vaughn asked gently.

            "Sydney," Will said softly. 

            "Why would you think that she's dead?" Vaughn asked.

            "I'm a investigative reporter, Agent Vaughn, not an idiot," Will scoffed. "Sydney would have come talked to me herself if she was able. Is she or is she not dead?"

            Vaughn closed his eyes. "We don't know." Will turned away. "Will, we need to know what happened. What do you remember about that night?" Vaughn asked opening his eyes.

            Will didn't say anything for a moment, and just when Vaughn was going to propose the question again, Will began speaking. "I had been working all night on researching this girl, Allison, whom I believed to be the double. I took a break and went to the bathroom and discovered the medicine in the bathroom. Everything sort of fell into place. I figured it had to be Francie who was the double, so I pulled out my cell phone and called Syd. She didn't answer, so I left a message. I came out of the bathroom and armed myself. Francie and I were fighting, and then she…" Will stopped. "She cornered me in the kitchen and stabbed me. I remember feeling the pain of the blade. But the oddest thing happened before I blacked out," Will said.

            "What?" Vaughn asked.

            "I recall the sound of Francie—I mean Allison, crying. That's the last thing I remember," Will finished.

            Vaughn's heart sank. There was nothing in Will's story that disproved the CIA's theory that Sydney was a traitor. "Will, did Sydney ever leave the house suspiciously? Or did you ever hear any questionable phone calls or messages?"

            Will looked at Vaughn sharply. "No, why?"

            Vaughn cursed himself for asking that question. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Will over the possible of Sydney's treachery. "I'm just covering all odds."

            Will's look hardened. "Don't lie. You know something that you're not telling me. What's going on?"

            Vaughn sighed. "The CIA is following a lead that Sydney may have been working as a double agent for Sloane."

            "What?" Will exclaimed. His surprise was so much that he shot forward in his bed, causing him to grunt in pain. "You've already proved that Francie was the double! Why are they accusing Syd too?"

            "The problem is, we can't prove that the women found dead in Sydney's apartment was the real Francie or the double," Vaughn explained. 

            "What do you mean? The eye scan—" Will objected.

            "Inconclusive. There are protein reducers that can be used to minimize protein counts to their normal levels. As far as evidence is concerned, the real Francie is dead and the identity of the double is unknown."

            "That can't be!" Will protested. "That Allison girl, she had to be the double. She couldn't have been the real Francie!"

            "I believe you, Will! I do! But there's no evidence that the CIA will believe to back it up," Vaughn said, releasing his frustration.

            Will was silent. "What evidence is there? What happened that night when Sydney got home?" 

            It was Vaughn's turn to turn away. "We don't know for sure Will, but from the condition of the house, there was a fight that apparently ended in the bedroom. That's where they found Francie's body."

            "And Sydney?"

            Vaughn stumbled over his description as he recalled the scene in his head. "A-a mirror lay broken across the room from where Francie was found dead. A gun lay near it. Blood samples were taken from some of the glass fragments. It was—it was Sydney's."

            "And the CIA has no leads?" Will asked despondently. 

            "We've had a few," Vaughn said, giving a brief description of the trip to Colorado. 

            "Any leads on Ravine?" Will asked. 

            "No, a phony name. Nothing more," Vaughn said.

            "Ah-hem," a voice said from the doorway. A nurse was standing there looking agitated. "You may work for the CIA, Sir, but you've stayed with our patient for far too long. You can come back another day."

            Vaughn nodded. "Thanks for the help, Will. When you're better, the CIA's going to want a full detailed recount of that night."

            Will nodded. "I understand. And keep me informed okay?"

            "Of course," Vaughn replied. Vaughn walked past the nurse and outside where he opened the door to his car and sat. He did not reach for the keys, and he did not start the car. He just sat there. He was no closer to finding Sydney than he had been forty-five minutes ago when he walked into the hospital in anticipation of a lead. There didn't seem to be an end in sight any time soon.

*~*~*

            A few days passed before Vaughn heard from Will again. Apparently it was still going to be a few weeks before he was well enough to be released, but that was not the purpose of Will's call. 

            "Vaughn, could you spell Loan Ravine's name for me?" Will requested.

            "Sure," Vaughn said in confusion as he did what Will had asked. There was a pause and the sound of pen scratching on paper.

            "Are you sure that's it?" Will asked.

            "Yeah. No wait—" Vaughn said thinking hard. "It was Loan S. Ravine."

            "That son of a bitch," Will muttered over the phone.

            "What?" Vaughn asked, feeling slightly excited that a lead was about to present itself.

            "Your Loan S. Ravine is none other than Arvin Sloane. He just rearranged the letters in his name to form another."


End file.
